Thornfield

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A 1 ½ -storey three-bay symmetrical Victorian villa built c.1880. L-shaped plan form with extensive additions to the rear. Located approximately 1mile north of Lisburn town centre, opposite the entrance to Friends School.

Half-hipped natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles and finials; leaded hips. Timber fascia and barge boards with timber ties to gable ends; timber sheeted soffits with moulded eaves brackets. Cast-iron rainwater goods; semi-circular gutters with circular down pipes. Smooth rendered chimneys with moulded cornice and clay pots. Smooth rendered walling with projected moulded plinth; smooth banding. 1/1 timber sliding sash with horns; segmental arched ground floor windows; round headed arched first floor windows; both complemented with stucco moulded surrounds and central key-blocks. 6-panelled timber front door with bolection mouldings and brass ironmongery; fixed light over; round-headed arched opening with stucco moulded surrounds; key block extended into secondary arched mouldings creating spandrels with drop finials.

The principal elevation faces south and is symmetrically arranged. Central projecting gabled ended bay with front door at ground floor level with paired narrow windows at first floor level; diminished windows to the ground floor cheeks comprising rolled and coloured glass with margin panes. Bays either side comprise single ground floor window with wall-head half-hipped dormer over.

The left elevation is asymmetrically arranged. Single-storey canted bay to the ground floor right with single window to the left; two first floor windows over.

The rear elevation is principally abutted by two extended 1½ –storey returns to the centre and right. Each return is of the general style and proportion of the main house with slight variations to the windows. The east cheek of the return is a continuation of the east elevation of the main building and comprises two large square-headed ground floor windows with wall-head dormers over. The returns are further abutted by a recessed single-storey extension adjoining a further 1 ½ storey garage with accommodation over.

The right elevation is symmetrically arranged with a central ground floor hipped roof canted bay with two first floor windows matching the left elevation. Single diminished square-headed window right of canted bay.

Setting:

The house set back from the road, screened from public view by large mature trees to the east. The driveway is accessed through a gated entrance with stucco moulded piers and railings. The general surrounding is a suburban context comprising similarly sized two-storey dwellings, most of which were erected at a later period.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Smooth render
Windows: Timber sliding sash
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The house is first shown on the third edition OS map of c1900 and is mentioned in the Belfast Telegraph in March 1893 as the residence of Robert Rice and again in April 1895, when Mrs Robert Rice of Thornfield gave birth to a son. Robert Rice is listed as a churchwarden of Lisburn cathedral in 1896 and from the 1901 census, when his son is 5 years old, we learn that Mr Rice is an ‘Agent and Director’ in the wine and spirit trade. (www.lisburn.com; 1901 census) As well as the son, Frederick Rice, he has an eight year-old daughter and the family keeps a servant who hails from County Longford. The house is of the first class owing to its size and construction materials and has 11 rooms.

The house appears to have remained in the Rice family for some years, Robert Rice’s daughter Kathleen being resident there when she died in 1921 at the young age of 28. Jemima Grace Rice, Robert’s widow died in 1934 and two spinster ladies of the Agnew family, possibly Jemima’s sisters died, resident in the house, in 1929 and 1937. Frederick W Rice, who worked as a railway clerk, appears to have outlived the rest of his family. He is known to have been keenly involved in the sport of hockey and was a ‘great personality’. (History of Lisnagarvey Hockey Club) He died in 1954, although whether he was still resident at ‘Thornfield’ is unclear. In 1978 the house was the home of James Mathewson, obstetrician. (Medical Directory, 1978)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/1/68/3 – Third Edition OS Map c1900
2. PRONI OS/6/1/68/4 – Fourth Edition OS Map 1921
3. PRONI OS/6/1/68/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
4. PRONI Will of Kathleen Rice, died 30th January 1921
5. PRONI Will of Annie Agnew, died 16th March 1929
6. PRONI Will of Jemima Grace Rice, died 26th may 1934
7. PRONI Will of Mary Jane Agnew, died 20th April, 1937
8. Belfast Telegraph 6th March 1893
9. Belfast Telegraph 15th April 1895
10. 1901 census online

Secondary Sources

1. Hood, Kenneth H “A History of Lisnagarvey Hockey Club, 1901-1976” (available at www.lisburn.com)
2. The Medical Directory, 1978
3. www.lisburn.com

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A 1 ½ -storey three-bay symmetrical Victorian villa built c.1880. Typical of dwellings from this period and not uncommon to the local area, the exterior has retained much of its style and character, with little alteration to the principal façade. An extension to the rear has largely been carried out sympathetically, however it has had an adverse impact on the overall proportion and scale of the building. The secluded setting is largely uninterrupted and adds to the overall character of the house. A fair example of a common building type but not one of the best examples and therefore not considered for listing.